Summary Box: Support for hemp growing in Kentucky

GROWING ACCEPTANCE: A mix of people at a recent seminar in Lexington, Ky., voiced support for growing the versatile hemp plant.

BAD RAP? Hemp is a tall, leafy plant with many uses that has been outlawed for decades because of its association with its bad-boy cousin, marijuana. Supporters argue that legalizing it would create a new crop for farmers, replacing hemp now imported from Canada and elsewhere.

FEDS OBJECT: Federal drug laws don't differentiate between marijuana and hemp, according to a DEA spokeswoman. As a result, "we would not approve applications to grow hemp because it is marijuana," she said.